1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wearable electronic devices. More particularly, the invention relates to wearable electronic devices having a location determining component which may be easily accessed and operated by a user during exercise or other activity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable electronic devices such as mobile telephones, pagers, personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), and global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver units are becoming increasingly popular. Because such electronic devices are portable, users often desire to carry them during exercise or other activity in such a manner as to prevent dropping, misplacing, or damaging the electronic device, while at the same time maintaining quick access to the electronic device. Wearable electronic devices have been developed for this purpose.
Prior art wearable electronic devices are often clipped or otherwise secured to the user's clothing, such as the user's belt or a waist of the user's pants. Unfortunately, such attachment methods are cumbersome and do not allow quick access to the devices. Moreover, some securing assemblies are not easily removable from the belt or pants and therefore defeat the portable nature of the devices. Also, when the user sits, the electronic device or securing assembly often pushes into the user's torso. Furthermore, the securing assembly and the electronic device are often obstructed from reach, such as when a safety belt is used in an automobile.
These problems are magnified when the user attempts to engage in physical activity, such as exercise, while carrying an electronic device. Conventional securing assemblies, such as belt clips or pouches, often require the user to be stationary while accessing the electronic device, as the securing assemblies, by their very location, prohibit access of the electronic device during exercise or other periods of rapid movement. Furthermore, prior art wearable electronic devices are often positioned on a user in such a manner that restricts the user's movement, such as when a cumbersome device is positioned on the user's waist or wrist.
Other prior art wearable electronic devices require the user to manipulate a large number of inputs to effectively operate the device. The large number of inputs, and the dexterity required to select the inputs, requires a user who is walking, jogging, running, or otherwise exercising, to cease moving, or use both hands, to operate them. For instance, a user who fails to cease moving may inadvertently power off the device by selecting an incorrect input. Thus, an exercising user is unlikely to take advantage of the functions provided by the prior art wearable electronic devices.
Accordingly, there is a need for a wearable electronic device that overcomes the limitations of the prior art. Specifically, there is a need for a wearable electronic device that offers reliable securement of the device to a user while allowing the user to quickly and easily access the device during exercise or other activity.
Furthermore, there is a need for a wearable electronic device that may be easily worn by a user during exercise or other activity in a manner that does not impede the user's movement.
There is yet a further need for a wearable electronic device that allows the user to easily access multiple functions found in the electronic device without inadvertently powering off the unit or selecting inappropriate functions.